What
started as an activity for boys to undertake while at Boy Scout Camp in 1927,
would last for over a half-century and turn its originator into a local legend.
Carl Parlasca worked as a bookkeeper for the Borden Company. However,
since his boyhood days, he was always captivated by stories of the Old West and
of the ways of Native Americans.

In
the early days, the show was produced by a local Drama Teacher, but Parlasca
would eventually become the Director and Narrator.Over
the years, The Song of Hiawatha Pageant grew from a Boy Scout activity to a
highly sophisticated theatrical production that was viewed by thousands of audience
members every year. The cast and crew expanded to over 150 volunteers. It
was performed in the Amphitheater of Camp Big Timber Camp Grounds until 1979.